The federal courthouse on Pleasant Street returned to normal operations Wednesday, a day after it was evacuated due to a white powder found in one of the courtrooms.
Preliminary testing revealed the powder wasn’t hazardous, an FBI spokesperson said, and employees were allowed to return to the Warren B. Rudman Courthouse late Tuesday afternoon.
Many staff members were sent to the nearby Christa McAuliffe School to await instruction.
The alert was called in at 8:11 a.m. after a container was found in one courtroom and determined to hold a white, powdery substance. The Concord fire and police departments in conjunction with the New Hampshire State Police responded to the scene to evacuate and assist federal officers.
Court officials found “an unattended item with an unknown substance that warranted a hazmat response in an abundance of caution,” Kristen Setera of the FBI said in a statement.
The incident remains under investigation by the U.S. Marshal Service and the FBI.